Bicycle package



Dec. 6, 1949 F. J. YARMAN 294%86 BICYCLE PACKAGE kFiled May 28, 194'/ 2 sheds-sheet. 1

VV x

Dec. 6, i949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1947 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 :masones v microns mennen- BauLJ rYarmai1,.Bmherton,` Ohio, assignoto I 0hidBoXboard13ompany..Rittman,'0hio,.a cor-l poration "of Ohio .-Appneaiim Mmes, isczssermewnscsnors 4101311118. (CLRDHG) This invention relatesto thcmackagng of I bicycles for shipment,Y fand.it. has .special-l reference to the provision of means forysecurelyvsupporting a bicycle inashipping container. in-rsuch amanner that it cannot shift therein -andswill be guarded against rubbing contact-with the-'walls ofthe container, thus`r insuring zagainst injury of the mechanism-ofthe bicycle and marringof its finish during transportation .and handling.

One object of the inventionis to providespacing and blocking members for-.locating the bicyclein thecontainerin the manner and forethe, purposehereinbefore explained, .such members .being fabricated from paperboard material preferably corrugated board, andbeing sodesigned-.and con.- structed as to require for .theirformationavminimum amount of such :material-and only. the :sim-l plest of assembly operations,.thereby affording an :economy in productioncost and aresulting 10W cost to the packer.

Another object ofthe invention is-.toprovide Spacing and blocking .members whiclrmay y.be easily and quickly applied relatively to the fbicycle and container during thel Vpackaging operation, and so designed as toreadily .apprise the packer .of their intendedfunctional location within ...the container and .with respect Ato .certain .selected cooperating parts ofthe bicycle.

The spacing and blocking members of-.t'helfinvention` preferably include a cradle .member .for engagement with one Wheelv ofthe. bcycle,.pref erably the front Wheel, a longitudinalstopmember for engagement with. the. other .Wheel,. prefera'bly the. rear wheel, and a frame engagingmemberl formed and adapted. for Vpredeterrrlineri..-.10- cation with respect to the.,handlejbarpostand seat post of the bicycle frame, .and it Will"be-...un. derstood that these membersnot only intimately and, preferably, immovably engage the `partsp'f the bicycle .with which theyareassociatedbnt also .bear against the container Walls adjacent to them in such a manner as to precludegmovcment of the bicycle within `the container. VMoreover, due to the somewhat!yieldableandlsprngy nature of the paperboard materialo'f Whichlthey are made, preferably corrugated'board,vas..here

inbefore.mentioned,`their support of thebicycle within the container will .be oa somewhatresilient v.character capable of absorbing ,shoeksLincident to transportationand. handling, as will be. explained more fully hereinafter :and vilnally claimed.

In the accompanying. Adrawings .illustratingcthe invention, in .the 4severalflgures of which enig.; .1l dan: schematic siele-v view1.fillustratingiV the preferred .application aand ,arrangement 4of :the :spacingaand blocking: -members fof the .invention to a; packaged bicycle, thefoontainerarid the bicycle being-.findicatedlin broken lines, f

..2-.i. s.:a4 plan :viewa of -thef'paperboard 'blank frcmewhich the frame @engaging member of :the invention is formed,V

.-v-ieWeand-,a bottom plan-vieweof the completed frameeengagingimember,

.gFigis-:arcentral longitudinal section `off the frame engagingfmember foffEigs. lk2. to=:-.e1,.i llustrat ing the manner of its application :totherhandle barcpostland rseat post of, thefbicycle. frame which latter. is shown 1 in.. fragmentary: sectional elevation,y v, f

Eiga-6 gis -safplanf-fview'.oftthetpaperboard- :blank from ...which the cradlermember .for one of the V.20 wheels (the front wheel) or the. bicycle .is-formed,

cradlesmember,

Eig. f ag-plan :view of z the paperboard 'blank from .-w-hich vi'lie:glongitudi-nal .Stopp-member for Fig --7 .isla :perspective view of the :completed 25 ,theotherfwlieel.pt thebicycle (the. rear Wheel)..-is

partsare similarlydesignated, v .u

formedand 9.a is..aper spective `view :of t-th e l.completed longitudinal ;-.stop,-.,member. x

.-.It-Will vbeinoted thatin the interest of:.1sim plicity, -.no.-attemp.t has sheen:r made. to illustrate the .-paperboard..material from .which the .spacing andL blockingmembersfaree formed as .corrugated board. Moreovemit nottintendedthat ftheti-nventionzbe v.li1 ;riitedto.the formation of these membersfrem, such-.corrugatedboari although its useiforztheir formation preferable, as rhereinbeforeiindicated. Y AHim/.ingrreference `particularlylto.Fig. 1, it Awill bezseen, ias y has-alreadygbeeneiplained,ithat the spacing-` and .blocking members of .the invention comprise -a...cradle .member a .for i one wheel `4L gpreferablyzthefrcnt'wheeDf-of; thebicycle, Va 1ongitudinal'stopfmember b for the ,f'otherfwheel -b' preferably the,n reartwheel) of the bicycle, and afname engaging member fc.- for cooperation -With the handletbarpostfc fand-seat postc" of tthe bicycle frame. ,All.-o f .theseimembers are of a widtlrlsubstantially .eguali-tothe internal 7width of the:v packaging .container rl .and when located thereinin engagementxwithr.the1designated. parts oft-the bicycle Mtnl-which@-theyncooperate fare inamableA oilateral movement relatively to thereontainer.fand.hencepreventany.-similar movement of.the,..paclcaged.biycle. Alsmiit will be apparent mtwwledleimember endfffvamevensacme 3 member c bear against the bottom and top walls of the container, respectively. and serve to prevent or block movement oi' the bicycle between such walls. The overall interior length of the container d with respect to the overall length of the packaged bicycle; and the design of the longitudinal stop member b, are such that when the said stop member b is' properly applied, as shown, the front wheel of the bicycle will be held in engagement with one end wall of the container and mud guard of the rear wheel out of tact with such other end wall.

Hence, with its front wheel supported byV theV cradle member a and` bearing against the adjacent end wall of the container ditsrear,wheel bearing against the bottom wall of the container,

and spaced from the", adjacent other end wall by the longitudinal stop' member b, and the upper portion of its frame held by the frame engaging member c bearing against the top wall of the container, and all of the spacing and blocking members c, b, and c having a close fit between the side Walls of the'container, it will be apparent that the packaged bicycle is incapable'of shifting within thecontainer either, longitudinally, vertically or laterally. Also, as has been mentioned, the forni'o the spacing and blocking members, and the inherent yieldable or springy nature of the paperboard material of which they are mada-will provide for cushioning of the packaged bicycle against shocks incident to handling and shipment.

Referring more particularly to the form and construction of the various spacing and blocking members a, b and c, and their functional arrangement with respect to the designated parts of the bicycle with which they cooperate, attention is directed to Figs. 2 to 9.

The frame engaging member c shown in Figs. 2 to 5 is constructed from an elongated blank of paperboard material of a width substantially corresponding to the interior width of the packaging container d with. which the member is to-be associated and provided with a plurality of scores or fold lines I, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, 1 and 8" arranged transversely thereof. The body portion 5 of the blank lying between the fold lines I and 4 isof a length adequate to substantially span the distance between the handle bar post c and seat post c" of the bicycle to be packaged, and is pro-f vided adjacent to the first mentioned fold line I with cuts I0. il and I2, and a score or 'fold line I3, to define a bend'able and foldable tongue I4; That part of the blank lying r`between the fold line 2 and the adjacent blank end comprises two sections i5 and lidivided by the fold line 3, and flat foldable'upon "the said fold line 3 to provide a spacing pad and `formed with registering perforations I1 through which the tongue i4 may be passed and retained in looped or folded back arrangement to provide a' relatively rigid member for insertion into the handle bar post c' of the bicycle frame, as shown in Fig. 5, when the flat folded sections I5 and I8 are doubled upon the fold lines I and 2 beneath the main or body por# tion 9 of the blank and thus secured by staples I 8 or other appropriate fastening means.` Between the fold line I and the end of the blank adjacent thereto are five sections IS, 20, 2l, 22 and 23,- deiined by the intermediate fold lines 8, 1, -5 and 5, and thev three sections 20, 2i and 22 next adjacent to the end section 'I9 ofthe blanky are provided with perforations or apertures 24 which,

anonce when the sections I9, 20, 2| and 22 are folded upon jefach other in zig-zag arrangement and against the under side of the body portion 9 of the blank, to form another pad portion, will register to form a recess or socket in such pad portion to receive the upwardly extending end of the seat Apost c" of the bicycle frame, Fig. 5, the section 23 serving as an end for the member and accommodating the multiple thickness of the foldllled sections i9, 20, 2I and 22. -Staples 25 or other its rear wheel will spaced from the other end'` wall a distance sunl'cient to hold the renderciY possible con- 'appropriate fastening means are preferably emjployed to hold the parts in intimate flat-folded relation. The cradle member a shown in Figs. 6 and 'l Vis formed from an elongated blank of a width l-also'substantially corresponding to the interior `width of the packaging container d provided adjacent to its ends with similarly spaced transverse score or fold lines 26, 2l and 28. The main portion of the blank lying between the fold lines 26 innermost from the ends constitutes a cradle base 29, and the other fold lines 21 and 28 dene sections 30 and 3l provided with cut-outs or apertures 32 spanning the intermediate fold lines 21, and end sections 33 which, when the sections are folded to inverted V formation, or triangular form, as shown in Fig. 7, provide securing flaps which are preferably attached by staples 34 or the like fastening means to the underlying parts of the main portion or cradle base 29 of the blank to form a pair of similar cradle means. It will be noted that the apertures 32 are nonsymmetrical, extending further into the portions 3D than into the portions 3l adjacent to the intermediate fold lines 21, and thus when the cradle member is set yup as shown in Figs. l and '7 and applied to the bicycle wheel the ends of the apertures lying in these two portions Sil and 3i will intimately engage the wheel tire at four points (or lines) peripherally thereof and the cradle member will thus be held against displacement from the wheel in a direction normal to the axis thereof.

yThe longitudinal stop member b shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is formed from an elongated blank of awidth similar to that of the blanks for the other members a and c and is provided with appropriately located spaced transverse scores or fold lines 35, 3B, 3l', 3S and 39. The portion 45) 5o of the blank lying between the first of said fold lines 35 and the adjacent end of the blank constitutes a foot the free end 4I of which provides a supporting bearing for the member, and the other portions 42, 43, 44, :l5 and 4S of the blank 55 defined by the fold lines 35, 36, 3l, 38 and 39 are adapted to be folded upon each other in succession, starting with the end portion 36, to produce a rigid triangular stop member olistanding from the foot portion 4c and secured thereto as 'so by staples 4l passing through the foot portion andthe folded portion l5 juxtaposed thereagainst. Those portions 42, 43, 45 and i6 of the blank which lie at the apex of the triangular formation are provided With cut-outs or aperc tures 4S and 49 spanning the respective fold lines 38and 39 and registering when the blank is folded and set up as shown in Fig. 9 to provide means for embracing the bicycle wheel and spacing it from the adjacent end of the container as shown 7G in Fig. 1, it being noted that the extent of the portions of the apertures 42-43 and 45-46 adjacent to the fold lines 35 and 3S, respectively, is dissimilar to accommodate the triangular member to the peripheryof the wheel tire in the '73 position in which it is supported with relation thereto by the foot 40 when its free end 4I rests upon the bottom wall of the packaging container. Hence, due to engagement of the foot 4D with the bottom wall of the container and the tire engaging formation of the registering apertures 48-49, the longitudinal stop member will be incapable of shifting with respect to the wheel and container.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the principle of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a bicycle package comprising a packaging container having top, bottom, end and side walls, spacing and blocking members for a bicycle enclosed by said container, said members including a cradle member interposed between one wheel of the bicycle and the bottom Wall of the container, a frame engaging member interposed between frame parts of the bicycle and the top Wall of the container, and a longitudinal stop member interposed between the other wheel of the bicycle and an end wall of the container, all of said spacing and blocking members having a close t between the side walls of the container and in their cooperation with parts of the bicycle and other walls of the container and serving to prevent longitudinal, vertical and lateral shifting of the bicycle within the container, said cradle member including means arranged in oistanding relation to the bottom wall of the container and apertured to embrace one Wheel of the bicycle to prevent lateral shifting thereof, said frame engaging member being formed of an integral strip scored for folding to multi-layered thickness adjacent to its ends and cut to provide at the multilayered thickness adjacent to one end an integral oistanding tongue for insertion into the handle bar post of the bicycle frame, the multi-layered thickness at the other vvend being apertured throughout a portion of its layers to provide socket means for engagement with the seat post of the bicycle frame, and said longitudinal stop member including means ofistanding from the end wall of the container and aperture to embrace and bear against the periphery of the other wheel of the bicycle and having a foot portion for abutting engagement with the bottom of the container to position said stop member in proper functional relation to said other wheel.

2. A spacing and blocking member for engagement with frame parts of a bicycle packaged in a container, comprising an elongated strip of bendable material of a width substantially com- 6 mensurate with the internal width of the container and provided with transverse fold lines defining a body portion and sections extending from at least one end of said body portion and foldable to provide pad means adapted to overlie the handle bar post of the bicycle frame, said sections being perforated and their perforations registering to form an aperture upon folding of the sections, and cut and score means in said body portion dening an integral tongue bent to offstand from said body portion and passing through said aperture to extend into said handle bar post. Y

3. A spacing and blocking member as claimed in claim 2, in which said tongue is passed through said apertureand its free end is folded back and inserted in said aperture.

4. A spacing and blocking member for engagement with the handle bar post and seat post of a bicycle packaged in a container, comprising an elongated strip of bendable material of a width substantially commensurate with the internal width of the container and provided With transverse fold lines defining a body portion to span the space between said posts, and sections extending from the ends of said body portion and foldable to provide pad means adapted to overlie said handle bar post and seat post, respectively, the sections forming the pad means to overlie said handle bar post being perforated and their perforations registering upon folding of the sections to thereby form an aperture, cut and score means in said body portion defining an integral tongue bent to oistand from said body portion and passing through said aperture to extend into said handle bar post, and certain of the sections vforming the pad means to overlie said seat post being perforated and their perforations registering when the sections are folded to thereby provide a socket for engagement with said seat post.

PAUL J YARMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,812,781 Gibbs June 30, 1931 2,238,166 Gagen Apr. 15, 1941 2,261,280 Pennebaker et al. Nov. 4, 1941 2,273,544 Vandervort Feb. 17, 1942 2,330,448 Reaume Sept. 28, 1943 

